専 業 主 婦(せんぎょうしゅふ)

せんぎょうしゅふ

noun

full-time housewife; stay-at-home wife

1. full-time housewife; stay-at-home wife

A married woman who does not have paid employment outside the home and devotes herself to household management and childcare.

母(はは)は専業主婦(せんぎょうしゅふ)だった。

My mother was a full-time housewife.

専業主婦(せんぎょうしゅふ)の数(かず)は年々(ねんねん)減(へ)っている。

The number of full-time housewives is decreasing year by year.

子育(こそだ)てが落(お)ち着(つ)いたので、専業主婦(せんぎょうしゅふ)から社会(しゃかい)復帰(ふっき)したいと思(おも)っている。

Now that childcare has settled down, I'm thinking about returning to work from being a full-time housewife.

Usage

A compound of 専業(せんぎょう) (exclusive occupation) and 主婦(しゅふ) (housewife). Commonly discussed in the context of changing social roles, work-life balance, and demographics in Japan. The male equivalent is 専業主夫(せんぎょうしゅふ) (stay-at-home husband), written with a different kanji for the last character.

Common collocations

専業主婦(せんぎょうしゅふ)世帯(せたい) (single-income household with a stay-at-home wife)
専業主婦(せんぎょうしゅふ)から働(はたら)きに出(で)る (to enter the workforce after being a housewife)

Similar words

主婦(しゅふ): housewife — broader term that includes both working and non-working wives
共働(ともばたら)き: dual-income couple — the opposite household arrangement

Related Words

Related: 主婦(しゅふ) (housewife)

Compare: 共働(ともばたら)き (dual-income couple)

Homophone: 専業主夫(せんぎょうしゅふ) (full-time househusband)

Related: 共働(ともばたら)き世帯(せたい) (dual-income household)

general

Added 2026.3.14 8:57 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

16500/16565_sengyoushufu